The King's Speech
|runtime = 118 minutes |country = Smith, N. Oscars 2011: Film Council basks in King's Speech glory BBC News, 28 February 2011. Maddox, G. All hail The King's Speech and its likely sweep Retrieved 28 February 2011 |language = English |budget = £8 millionNever mind the Baftas ... who will get The King's Speech riches? The Guardian Retrieved 28 February 2011 |gross = $401,429,179The King's Speech Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 27 April 2011 }} The King's Speech is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays King George VI who, to overcome his stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The two men become friends as they work together, and after his brother Edward VIII abdicates, the new king relies on Logue to help him make a radio broadcast on the day that Britain goes to war with Germany at the beginning of World War II. Seidler began researching George VI's life after overcoming his own stammer during his youth and, using informed imagination, wrote about the men's relationship. Nine weeks before filming, Logue's notebooks were discovered and quotations from them were incorporated into the script. Principal photography took place in London and other locations in Britain, in December 2009 and early January 2010. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2011. The King's Speech was a major box office and critical success. On a budget of £8 million (roughly $15 million), it grossed over $392 million internationally. It was widely praised by critics for its visual style, art direction, and acting. Other commentators discussed the film's misrepresentation of the historical events it portrays, in particular the reversal of Winston Churchill's opposition to abdication. The film received many awards and nominations, mostly for Colin Firth. The film was nominated for seven Golden Globes, winning Best Actor – Drama for Firth. The film received 14 BAFTA nominations, the most of any film, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Firth, and Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The film was also nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the most of any film that year, and ended up winning four, all in major categories: Best Picture, Best Director for Tom Hooper, Best Actor for Firth and Best Original Screenplay for David Seidler. Plot The film opens with Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), known to his wife and family as "Bertie" (played by Colin Firth), the second son of King George V, speaking at the close of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, with his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) by his side. His stammering speech visibly unsettles the thousands of listeners in the audience. The prince tries several unsuccessful treatments and gives up, until the Duchess persuades him to see Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian speech therapist in London. In their first session, Logue requests that they address each other by their Christian names, a breach of royal etiquette—and Logue tells the Duke that he will be calling him his family name Bertie from here on. At first, Bertie is reluctant to receive treatment. Logue bets Bertie a shilling that he can read perfectly at that very moment, and gives him Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy to read aloud, which he does while listening to loud music via headphones. Logue records Bertie's reading on a gramophone record, but convinced that he has stammered throughout, Bertie leaves in a huff, declaring his condition "hopeless." Logue offers him the recording as a keepsake. After King George V (Michael Gambon) makes his 1934 Christmas address, he explains to his son the importance of broadcasting for the modern monarchy in a perilous international situation, declares that "David" (Edward, the Prince of Wales, played by Guy Pearce), Bertie's older brother, will bring ruin to the family and the country when he is king, and demands that Bertie train himself to fill in—starting with himself practicing reading his father's speech. After an agonizing attempt to do so, Bertie plays Logue's recording and hears himself making an unbroken recitation of Shakespeare. He returns to Logue, and they work together on muscle relaxation and breath control, while Logue gently probes the psychological roots of the stammer, much to Bertie's embarrassment. The Prince soon reveals some of the pressures of his childhood: his strict father; the repression of his natural left-handedness; a painful treatment with metal splints for his knock-knees; a nanny who favoured his elder brother and—unbelievably—not feeding him adequately ("It took my parents three years to notice," says Bertie); and the early death in 1919 of his little brother Prince John. As the treatment progresses, Lionel and Bertie become friends and confidants. On 20 January 1936 George V dies, and David, the Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce) accedes to the throne as King Edward VIII, still wanting to marry Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), a divorced American socialite. At a party in Balmoral Castle, Bertie points out that Edward cannot marry a divorced woman and retain the throne; Edward accuses his brother of a medieval-style plot to usurp his throne, citing Bertie's speech lessons as an attempt to ready himself and resurrecting his childhood taunt of "B-B-B-Bertie". At his next session, the Prince has not forgotten the incident. He is most aggravated by being able to more or less speak without stammering to everyone except his own brother. Logue, noticing that when he curses he does not stammer, has him say every swear word he can think of. After doing so, Bertie briefs him on the extent of David's folly with Wallis Simpson, Logue insists that Bertie could be king. Outraged, Bertie accuses Logue of treason and mocks Logue's failed acting career and humble origins, causing a rift in their friendship. When King Edward VIII does in fact abdicate to marry, Bertie becomes King George VI. The new King realises that he needs Logue's help; he and the Queen visit the Logues' residence to apologise. When the King insists that Logue be seated in the king's box during his coronation in Westminster Abbey, Dr Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Derek Jacobi), questions Logue's qualifications. This prompts another confrontation between the King and Logue, who explains he had begun by treating shell-shocked soldiers in the last war. When the King still isn't convinced about his own strengths, Logue sits in King Edward's Chair and dismisses the Stone of Scone as a trifle, the King remonstrates with Logue for his disrespect. Upon the September 1939 declaration of war with Germany, George VI summons Logue to Buckingham Palace to help him prepare for his radio speech to the country. As the King and Logue move through the palace to a tiny studio, Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall) reveals to the King that he, too, had once had a speech impediment but had found a way to use it to his advantage. The King delivers his speech as if to Logue, who coaches him through every moment. As Logue watches, the King steps onto the balcony of the palace with his family, where thousands of Londoners, gathered to hear the speech over loudspeakers, cheer and applaud him. A final title card explains that, during the many speeches King George VI gave during World War II, Logue was always present. It also notes that in 1944 the king made Logue a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of Logue's personal service to the Monarch. The final card states that Bertie and Logue remained friends for the rest of their lives. Cast * Colin Firth as King George VI / Prince Albert, Duke of York * Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue * Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth, Duchess of York / Queen Elizabeth * Guy Pearce as Edward, Prince of Wales / King Edward VIII * Michael Gambon as King George V * Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill * Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Gruenert Logue * Derek Jacobi as Cosmo Gordon Lang (Archbishop of Canterbury) * Anthony Andrews as Stanley Baldwin * Eve Best as Wallis Simpson * Freya Wilson as Princess Elizabeth * Ramona Marquez as Princess Margaret Rose * Claire Bloom as Queen Mary * Tim Downie as Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester Production Development Screenwriter David Seidler had himself developed a stammer as a child, due, he believes, to the emotional trauma of World War II, which had included the murder of his grandparents during the Holocaust. As a child, Seidler was inspired on finding out that King George VI had overcome a stammer. "Here was a stutterer who was a king and had to give radio speeches where everyone was listening to every syllable he uttered, and yet did so with passion and intensity," Seidler commented. When Seidler became a writer as an adult, he resolved to write about King George VI. During the late 1970s and 1980s he voraciously researched the King, but found a dearth of information on Logue. Eventually, Seidler contacted Dr. Valentine Logue, who agreed to discuss his father and make his notebooks available, if the Queen Mother gave her permission. She asked him not to do so in her lifetime and Seidler halted the project.Logue's role in helping Prince Albert (later King George VI overcome his speech impediment was known, as it is discussed in Allan Michie's "God Save the Queen", published in 1952, after the death of King George VI and prior to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. the script, but he liked it and eventually performed in and produced the film. ]] In 2002, the Queen Mother died. Three years later, Seidler suffered from cancer, and returned to the story during a bout of creative work which his illness had inspired. His research, including a chance encounter with an uncle whom Logue treated, indicated he used mechanical breathing exercises combined with therapy probing the underlying causes of the condition. Thus prepared, Seidler imagined the sessions. He showed the finished screenplay to his wife. She liked it, but pronounced it too "seduced by cinematic technique" and suggested he re-write it as a stage play to focus on the essential relationship between the King and Logue. After he had completed it, he decided he quite liked it and sent it to a few people for feedback.Seidler, D. How the 'naughty word' cured the King's stutter (and mine) The Daily Mail, 20 December 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2011. In early 2006, one of the people Seidler sent his play to passed it to Joan Lane, of Wilde Thyme, a production company in London. Lane saw the script as a potential screen drama as well as stage play, and showed it to Simon Egan of Bedlam Productions, who recorded the first rehearsed read-through. Together Lane and Bedlam organised a reading of the play in Pleasance theatre, a small house in north London, to a group of Australian expatriates, among whom was Tom Hooper's mother, who called her son immediately and said, "I've found your next project".Gritten, D. Tom Hooper Interview for the King's Speech The Daily Telegraph, 23 December 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2011.Unwin, G.Crowning Glory: How The King's Speech got made The Independent, 3 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011. With a view to mounting a stage production, Wild Thyme sent the script to Geoffrey Rush for his interest, simultaneously championing film director Tom Hooper for any future screen adaptation; and Bedlam Productions passed the script to Iain Canning at See-Saw Films, who saw its potential as a feature film. Hooper liked the story, but thought that the original ending needed to be changed to reflect events more closely, "If you hear the real speech (made by the King on the outbreak of war in 1939), he’s clearly coping with his stammer. But it’s not a perfect performance. He’s managing it." The UK Film Council awarded the production £1 million in June 2009.Awards database The King's Speech UK Film Council. Retrieved 5 February 2011 A script read-through was held on 11 November, ahead of the beginning of filming on 13 November. Principal photography, scheduled to last seven weeks, concluded on 17 January 2010. Location and design The set design presented a challenge for the film-makers, since as a period drama, the film relied to an extent on the quality of its production, but the budget was a relatively limited £10 million. At the same time, the film had to be authentic, combining regal opulence and scruffy, depression-era London. On 25 November 2009, Rush and Derek Jacobi took part in filming at the Pullens buildings in Southwark. On 26 November, a week's filming with Firth, Rush and Jacobi began at Ely Cathedral, the location used for Westminster Abbey. Though Lincoln Cathedral is architecturally a closer match to the Abbey, the crew preferred Ely, a favoured filming location. Its size allowed them to build sets which showed not just the coronation but the preparations before it."The King's Speech: set report," The Telegraph, n.d. Found at The Telegraph website. Retrieved 4 January 2010. Lancaster House, an opulent government-owned period house in London, was used for the interiors of Buckingham Palace when the King walks to make his speech and for the official photograph afterwards; it cost £20,000 a day to rent.Bedell, G.The King's Speech: How clever sets create a compelling picture of 1930s London The Observer, 2 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011 Drapers' Hall was used for the Accession Council The making of a very British smash hit, The Daily Mail 6 February 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011On the set of 'The King's Speech', Time Out Retrieved 25 March 2011 where its usual decoration meant the new King was surrounded and overawed by paintings of his predecessors;The King’s Speech film locations Movie Locations coincidentally in reality, Albert was by this stage a freeman of the Drapers' Company. The crew investigated Logue's former consultation rooms, but they were too small to film in. Instead, they found a high, vaulted room in 33 Portland Place not far away. Eve Stewart, the production designer, liked the existing wallpaper so much that she recreated the effect across the entire room. The opening scene, set at the closing ceremony of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, was filmed on location at Elland Road, home of Leeds United and Odsal Stadium, home of the Bradford Bulls. Elland Road was used for the speech elements of the prince stammering his way through his first public address, and Odsal Stadium was selected because of its resemblance to Wembley Stadium in 1925. The crew had access to the stadium only at 10 pm, after a football game and filled the terraces with inflatable dummies dressed in period costumes. Actors, who move and shout, are interspersed to give the impression of a crowd and additional crowds, as well as more ranks of soldiers on the pitch, were added in post-production through VFX. An open casting call for extras was put out ahead of an expected filming date of 16 December 2009. Other locations include Cumberland Lodge, Harley Street, Knebworth, Hatfield House, the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Queen Street Mill Textile Museum in Burnley, and Battersea Power Station, which doubled as a BBC wireless control room. Elstree Studios provided sound-stages for some interior filming. The final cut of the film was completed on 31 August 2010. Visual style Hooper employs a number of cinematic techniques to evoke the King's feelings of constriction. Chief film critic for The New York Times, Manohla Dargis wrote that the feeling of entrapment inside the King's head was rendered overly literal with a fisheye lens, though Hooper denied this, saying he had simply used wider than normal lenses photographing the film.Appleo, T. The 5 Secrets of Tom Hooper’s ‘King’s Speech’ Success The Hollywood Reporter, 31 January 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011 Roger Ebert noted that the majority of the film is shot inside, where oblong sets, corridors and small spaces manifest constriction and tightness, in contrast to the usual emphasis on sweep and majesty in historical dramas. Hooper used wide shots to capture the actors' body language, particularly Geoffrey Rush who trained at the L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris and "is consequently brilliant in the way he carries his body". Hooper widened his scope first to capture Rush's gestures, then full body movements and silhouettes. The approach carried over to Firth as well. In the first consultation scene, the Duke is framed against a large wall squeezed against the end of a long couch, "as if to use the arm of the sofa as a kind of friend, as a security blanket?". Martin Filler praised the "low-wattage" cinematography of Danny Cohen, as making everything look like it has been "steeped in strong tea".Filler, M. Hollywood's Royal Stammer NYR Blog, 25 January 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011 Music The film's original score was composed by Alexandre Desplat. In a film about a man struggling to articulate himself, Desplat was wary of overshadowing the dramaturgy. He characterised the challenge: "This is a film about the sound of the voice. Music has to deal with that. Music has to deal with silence. Music has to deal with time."Martens, T.The sound of silence: Alexandre Desplat on the music that 'just floats' throughout 'The King's Speech' Pop & hiss, LA Times music blog. wwww.latimesblogs.latimes.com/musicblog 26 November 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011 The score is a sparse arrangement of strings and piano (with the addition of oboe and harp in one cut), intended to convey the sadness of the King's muteness, and then growing warmth of friendship between him and Logue. The minimalist approach emphasises the protagonist’s struggle for control in the story.McNab, K.The King's Speech score review www.soundonsight.org, 27 January 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011 Desplat used the repetition of a single note to represent the stickiness of the King's speech. As the film progresses growing banks of warm strings swaddle the deepening friendship between the two leads, to a climax in the coronation scene. Hooper originally wanted to film the scene without music, though Desplat argued that it was the real climax of the story, the point when the friendship was ratified by their decision to trust each other. "That is really rare", said Desplat, "Mostly you have love stories". To create a period sound the score was recorded on microphones which had been specially made for the royal family, extracted from the EMI archives. The score was nominated for several awards including "Best Original Score" at the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs, winning the latter award. The music played during the broadcast of the 1939 radio speech at the climax of the film is from the 2nd movement (Allegretto) of Beethoven's 7th Symphony. Historical accuracy According to screenwriter David Seidler, director Tom Hooper insisted on being as historically accurate as possible, the two of them working together for four months to get the best from the script, and ensure its authenticity. According to a BBC interview with Lionel Logue's grandson, the film team became aware of a diary containing Logue's original notes on his treatment of the duke only some nine weeks prior to shooting.BBC: "Finding the real King's Speech" interview with Logue's grandson, 4 January 2011. Accessed on 8 January 2011 They then went back and re-worked the script to reflect what was in the notes. Hooper said some of the film's most memorable lines were direct quotations from Logue's notes. However, certain changes were made for artistic or dramatic reasons. Professor Cathy Schultz pointed out that the film-makers tightened the chronology of the events to just a few years. The Duke of York in fact began to work with Lionel Logue in October 1926, ten years before the abdication crisis. The improvement in speech was apparent in months rather than years as is suggested by the film. In a 1952 newspaper interview with John Gordon, Logue said that "Resonantly and without stuttering, he opened the Australian Parliament in Canberra in 1927"; i.e. just seven months after the Duke began to work with Logue. Hugo Vickers, a royal adviser, agreed that altering historical details to preserve the essence of the dramatic story was sometimes necessary. The high ranking officials, for instance, would not have been present when the King made his speech, nor would Churchill have even been involved at any level, "but the average viewer knows who Churchill is; he doesn't know who Lord Halifax and Lord Hoare [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Sir Samuel Hoare]] are."Henley, J. How historically accurate is the King's Speech? www.guardian.co.uk, 9 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011 Robert Logue, a grandson of Lionel, doubted the film's depiction of the speech therapist, stating "I don't think he ever swore in front of the king and he certainly never called him 'Bertie". Historian Andrew Roberts states that the severity of the King's stammer was exaggerated and the characters of Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson and George V made more antagonistic than they really were, in order to increase dramatic effect. Christopher Hitchens and Isaac Chotiner challenged the film's portrayal of Winston Churchill's role in the abdication crisis. Retrieved 9 February 2011.Chotiner, I.Royal Mess The New Republic, 6 January 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011 It is well established that Churchill encouraged Edward VIII to resist pressure to abdicate, whereas he is portrayed in the film as strongly supportive of Prince Albert and not opposed to the abdication.For critiques of the film, see e.g., Hitchens and Chotiner (above). For historical sources substantiating Churchill's stance during the abdication crisis, see e.g., Roy Jenkins's biography of Churchill (2001), and Frances Donaldson's biography of Edward VIII (1976). Hitchens attributed this treatment to the "cult" surrounding Churchill's legacy. In a smart, well-made film, "would the true story not have been fractionally more interesting for the audience?" he wondered. They also criticised the film for failing to indict the appeasement of the era. While the film never directly mentions the issue, Hitchens and Chotiner argue that it implies that George VI was against appeasement, especially in the final scene portraying "Churchill and the King at Buckingham Palace and a speech of unity and resistance being readied for delivery". Far from distancing himself from Chamberlain's appeasement policy, King George VI despatched a car to meet Chamberlain when he returned from signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler in September 1938. The King and Chamberlain then stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, acclaimed by cheering crowds. This led historian Steven Runciman to write that by acting as he did to endorse Chamberlain's foreign policy, King George VI perpetrated "the biggest constitutional blunder that has been made by any sovereign this century." The Guardian corrected the portrayal of Stanley Baldwin as having resigned due to his refusal to order Britain's re-armament, when he in fact stepped down as "a national hero, exhausted by more than a decade at the top". Martin Filler has agreed that smaller liberties were mostly justified artistic licence. Indeed, the probably imagined scene when George V lectures his son on the importance of broadcasting makes a valid point. In that same scene there is a further inaccuracy when the king refers to Stalin as "Marshal Stalin", the latter having made himself such only in 1943. Additionally, George VI would never have tolerated Logue addressing him casually, nor swearing, he probably understood German and in reality was lukewarm towards Churchill until later in the war because of the latter's support for his brother during the abdication crisis. Commenting on the film's final scene, when the King stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, having broadcast his speech to mark the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, Andrew Roberts has written, "The scene is fairly absurd from a historical point of view – Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill were not present and there were no cheering crowds outside Buckingham Palace." Overall, Roberts praises the film as a sympathetic portrayal of the King's "quiet, unassuming heroism", and he states: "The portrayals by Firth and Bonham Carter are sympathetic and acute, and the movie’s occasional factual bêtises should not detract from that." Release The film had its world premiere on 6 September 2010 at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States. It was screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, on Firth's 50th birthday, where it received a standing ovation and won the People's Choice Award. The theatrical release poster was re-designed to show an extreme close-up of Firth's jaw and a microphone after Hooper criticised the first design, as a "train smash". The film was initially given a 15 rating by the British Board of Film Classification for its release in the United Kingdom, due to scenes where Logue encourages the King to shout profanities to relieve stress. At the London Film Festival, Hooper criticised the decision, questioning how the body could certify the film "15" for bad language but allow films such as Salt (2010) and Casino Royale (2006) to have 12A ratings despite their graphic torture scenes. Following Hooper's criticism, the board lowered the rating to "12A", allowing children under 12 years of age to see the film if they are accompanied by an adult."Colin Firth welcomes censors' reclassification decision". BBC News website. 22 October 2010. Retrieved on 23 October 2010 (archived on 3 January 2011)."The King's Speech". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved on 23 October 2010 (archived by WebCite on 3 January 2011). Hooper levelled the same criticism at the Motion Picture Association of America, which gave the film an R rating, preventing anyone under the age of 17 from seeing the film without an adult.Goldstein, Patrick (1 November 2010). "To the MPAA ratings board, 'The King's Speech' is just as bad as 'Saw 3D'". The Big Picture (Tribune Company). Retrieved on 7 November 2010 (archived by WebCite on 3 January 2011). This rating was not appealed. In his review, Roger Ebert criticised the R rating, calling it "utterly inexplicable", and said, "This is an excellent film for teenagers". In January 2011, executive producer and distributor Harvey Weinstein said he was considering having the film re-edited to remove some profanity, so that it would receive a lower classification and reach a larger audience.Child, B.King's Speech re-edit could cut swearing The Guardian, 26 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011 Tom Hooper, however, refused to cut the film, though he considered covering the swear words with bleeps. Helena Bonham Carter also defended the film, saying, "film is not violent. It’s full of humanity and wit. It's for people not with just a speech impediment, but who have got confidence doubts."Labrecque, J. Tom Hooper on PG-13 'King's Speech': 'I wouldn't support cutting the film in any way' – EXCLUSIVE Entertainment Weekly, 31 January 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011. In the press room after receiving the Academy Award, Colin Firth himself has noted that he doesn't support the re-editing of the film, and while he doesn't condone the use of profanity, he maintained that the context of the use wasn't offensive and the scene "serves a purpose".http://www.popsugar.com/Colin-Firth-Talks-About-Royal-Wedding-Oscar-Press-Room-14525381 An alternate version, with some of the profanities muted out of the soundtrack, was classified PG-13 by the MPAA;Scrubbed 'King's Speech' gets PG-13 rating The Los Angeles Times, 26 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011. this version was released to theatres across the United States on 1 April 2011, replacing the R-rated cut.Vilkomerson, S. 'The King's Speech' to be re-released as PG-13 version on April 1 Entertainment Weekly, 24 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011. The film is distributed by Transmission in Australia and by Momentum Pictures in the United Kingdom. The Weinstein Company is the distributor in North America, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, China, Hong Kong and Latin America. The film was released in France on 2 February 2011, under the title Le discours d'un roi. It was distributed by Wild Bunch Distribution.Accueil:Le discours d'un roi www.allocine.fr. Retrieved 3 February 2011 Reception Box office In the UK and Ireland, the film was the highest earning film on its opening weekend, it took in £3,510,000 from 395 cinemas. The Guardian said that it was one of the biggest takes in recent memory, compared to Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which, for example, two years earlier earned £1.5 million less.Gant, C.The King's Speech rouses Britain to the box office www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog, 11 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011 It continued a "stunning three weeks" atop the UK Box office, and earned over £3 million for four consecutive weekends, the first film to do so since Toy Story 3 (2010).Gant, C. Tangled's revamped princess tale dethrones The King's Speech www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog, 1 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011. After five weeks on UK release, it was hailed as the most successful independent British film ever. In the United States The King's Speech opened with $355,450 in four theatres. It holds the record for the highest per theatre gross of 2010. It was widened to 700 screens on Christmas Day, and 1,543 screens on 14 January 2011. It has made $138 million in North America as of April 2011.The King's Speech (2010). Retrieved 3 February, 2011. In Australia, The King's Speech made more than $6,281,686 AUD in the first two weeks, according to figures collected by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia. The executive director of Palace Cinemas, Benjamin Zeccola, said customer feedback on the film was spectacular. "It's our No.1 for all the period, all throughout the country. ... I think this is more successful than Slumdog Millionaire and a more uplifting film. It's a good example of a film that started out in the independent cinemas and then spread to the mainstream cinemas." Of the film's net profit, estimated to amount to $30 million-$40 million from the theatrical release alone, roughly 20% will be split between Geoffrey Rush (as executive producer), Tom Hooper and Colin Firth, who each get their bonus before the other participants. The remaining profit will be split equally between the producers and the equity investors.Slicing 'King's' profit pie at variety.com Critical response The King's Speech has received widespread critical acclaim.James R. Holland, "Movie Review: The King's Speech", California Chronicle, 4 January 2010, at California Chronicle website. Retrieved 4 January 2010.Rubin Safaya, "The King’s Speech", 17 December 2010, at [http://www.cinemalogue.com www.cinemalogue.com website]. Retrieved 4 January 2010. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 95% based on reviews from 205 critics, with an average score of 8.6/10. It summarised the critical consensus as: "Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama." Metacritic gave the film a weighted score of 88/100, based on 41 critiques, which it ranks as "universal acclaim".Index:The King's Speech www.metacritic.com Retrieved 3 February Empire gave the film five stars out of five, commenting, "You'll be lost for words." Lisa Kennedy in the Denver Post also gave the film full marks for its humane qualities and craftsmanship, "It is an intelligent, winning drama fit for a king – and the rest of us", she said.Lisa Kennedy, "Movie review: 'The King's Speech' is, in a word, excellent", The Denver Post, 24 December 2010, at The Denver Post website. Retrieved 4 January 2010. Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, also awarded the film a full four stars, commenting that "what we have here is a superior historical drama and a powerful personal one." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave four stars out of five, stating, "Tom Hooper's richly enjoyable and handsomely produced movie... is a massively confident crowd-pleaser." Manohla Dargis, whilst generally ambivalent towards the film, called the lead performances one of its principal attractions. "With their volume turned up, the appealing, impeccably professional Mr. Firth and Mr. Rush rise to the acting occasion by twinkling and growling as their characters warily circle each other before settling into the therapeutic swing of things and unknowingly preparing for the big speech that partly gives the film its title.", she wrote. The Daily Telegraph called Guy Pearce's performance as Edward VIII "formidable...with glamour, charisma and utter self-absorption".Gritten, D.The King's Speech, London Film Festival Review The Daily Telegraph, 21 October 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2011 Bradshaw said that Pearce's dispatch of the role "with some style" replaced the memory of Edward Fox playing the part. Empire said he played the role well as "a flash harry flinty enough to shed a nation for a wife." While The New York Times thought he was able to create "a thorny tangle of complications in only a few abbreviated scenes".Dargis, M. The King’s English, Albeit With Twisted Tongue The New York Times, 25 November 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2011. The British Stammering Association welcomed the release of The King's Speech, congratulating the film-makers on their "realistic depiction of the frustration and the fear of speaking faced by people who stammer on a daily basis". It said that "Colin Firth's portrayal of the King's stammer in particular strikes us as very authentic and accurate." British Stammering Association comments on The King's Speech BSA. Retrieved 17 March 2011. Allociné, a French cinema website, gave the film an average of four out of five stars, based on a survey of 21 reviews.Discours d'un roi> Critiques Presse www.allocine.fr.Retrieved 3 February 2011. Le Monde, which characterised the film as the "latest manifestation of British narcissism" and summarised it as "We are ugly and boring, but, By Jove!, we are right!", nevertheless admired the performances of Firth, Rush and Bonham Carter. It said that, though the film swept British appeasement under the carpet, it was still enjoyable.Le Monde "Le Discours d'un roi" : comment faire un roi d'un prince bègue, 1 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011. Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms and the daughter of King George VI, was sent two copies of the film before Christmas 2010. The Sun newspaper reported she had watched the film in a private screening at Sandringham House. A Palace source described her reaction as "touched by a moving portrayal of her father".Larcombe, D. The King's a hit with the Queen The Sun, 4 February 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011 Seidler called the reports "the highest honour" the film could receive.Queen 'approves' of King's Speech BBC News UK, 5 February 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011. Awards and nominations At the 83rd Academy Awards, The King's Speech won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler). The film had received 12 Oscar nominations, more than any other film. Besides the four categories it won, the film received nominations for Best Cinematography (Danny Cohen) and two for the supporting actors (Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush), as well as two for its mise-en-scène: Art Direction and Costumes. At the 64th British Academy Film Awards, The King's Speech won seven awards, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Actor for Firth, Best Supporting Actor for Rush, Best Supporting Actress for Bonham Carter, Best Original Screenplay for Seidler, and Best Music for Alexandre Desplat. The film had been nominated for 14 BAFTAs, more than any other film. At the 68th Golden Globe Awards, Firth won for Best Actor. The King's Speech won no other Golden Globes despite earning seven nominations, more than any other film. At the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Firth won the Best Actor award, and the entire cast won Best Ensemble, meaning Firth went home with two acting awards in one evening. Hooper won the Directors Guild of America Awards 2010 for Best Director. The film won the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the Producers Guild of America Awards 2010. The King's Speech also won the People's Choice Award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, Best British Independent Film at the 2010 British Independent Film Awards,King's Speech reigns at British Independent Film awards BBC News Retrieved 28 February 2011 and the 2011 Goya Award for Best European Film from the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Spanish Academy of Cinematic Art and Science). Colin Firth accepted the "Best Actor Award" and the film won "Best Movie" at the tenth annual AARP Movies for Grownups Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills on 7 February 2011.AARP's 10th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards at latimes.com See also * Bertie & Elizabeth (2002), a television film which also addresses the stammering of the king (played by James Wilby). It was a co-production of PBS (Masterpiece Theater) and London's Carlton Television.London Academy of Media, Film and TV, Australian Actor Geoffrey Rush References Further reading *Bowen, C. (2002). Lionel Logue: Pioneer speech therapist Retrieved 1 January 2011. *Logue, Mark and Conradi, Peter, (2010) "The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy", New York: Sterling Publishing Co., (written by Lionel Logue's grandson and a journalist with the Sunday Times), ISBN 978-1-4027-8676-1 * * [http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/52254012 St Claire, M, "An Australian Cures Defect in King's Speech", The Australian Women's Weekly, (Saturday, 2 January 1937), p.12.] External links * * * * * Footage of King George VI stammering in the 1938 speech from British Pathé * King George VI Addresses the Nation at the BBC Archives Category:Biographical films Category:British drama films Category:The Weinstein Company films Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners Category:Films whose director won the Best Director Academy Award Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award Category:Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award winning performance Category:Buddy films Category:Cultural depictions of Winston Churchill Category:English-language films Category:Epic films Category:Films set in London Category:Films set in Scotland Category:Films set in 1925 Category:Films set in 1934 Category:Films set in 1936 Category:Films set in 1937 Category:Films set in 1939 Category:Films shot in London Category:2010 films Category:2010s drama films Category:British monarchs in popular culture Category:Speech impediments ar:خطاب الملك (فيلم) ca:El discurs del rei cs:Králova řeč cy:The King's Speech de:The King’s Speech et:Kuninga kõne es:El discurso del rey eu:The King's Speech fa:سخنرانی پادشاه fr:Le Discours d'un roi gl:The King's Speech ko:킹스 스피치 hy:Թագավորի ելույթը hi:द किंग्स स्पीच (The King's Speech) hr:Kraljev govor (2010) id:The King's Speech is:The King's Speech it:Il discorso del re he:נאום המלך jv:The King's Speech ka:მეფის სიტყვა la:The King’s Speech lv:Karaļa runa hu:A király beszéde ms:The King's Speech my:ဘုရင့်မိန့်ခွန်း (ရုပ်ရှင်) nl:The King's Speech ja:英国王のスピーチ no:Kongens tale pl:Jak zostać królem pt:O Discurso do Rei ru:Король говорит! sk:Kráľova reč sr:Краљев говор sh:The King's Speech fi:Kuninkaan puhe sv:The King's Speech ta:தி கிங்ஸ் ஸ்பீச் th:ประกาศก้องจอมราชา tr:Zoraki Kral uk:Промова короля vi:The King's Speech zh-yue:皇上無話兒 zh:国王的演讲